Until recently, the story
of the children of the Holocaust was rarely told. Here are
accounts of the the war-time experiences of three child survivors: 5-year-old
Lili, who was separated from her family and hidden in a convent;
7-year-old Krystyna, who lived for 14 months in a sewer, never seeing
the light of day; and 14-year-old Alexander, who learned about death
on a fateful day in the ghetto. These survivors speak for their
friends and siblings -- the one-and-a-half million children who
were murdered during the Holocaust.

Beyond Secret TearsI
was 4 years old and my brother was 5-1/2 years old when we were
first separated from our parents and placed in a Protestant
orphanage in Belgium. I was a depressed and confused child,
but with the passing of time, I began to believe that all children
lived away from their parents.

Krystyna's
StoryWhen Daddy found out that there would be
a liquidation of the Ghetto, we hid in the cellar. I was 7
years old then and I knew about everything. Later we headed
for the sewer. It was very wet and dark.

My
First KaddishAt lunch time, I sat at the roadside with
Willy, the other Jewish carpenter. A passing Ukrainian peasant
warned, "They are killing the Jews in town. Why aren't
you boys hiding?"
"Killing Jews? What are you
saying?" I asked in disbelief.
"Look, there," he said,
"see for yourself."